Deadly Harvest by Michael Stanley

First Line: As she walked home, Lesego's head was full of Christmas.

Assistant Superintendent David Bengu of the Gaborone Criminal Investigation Department (known by everyone as "Kubu") has barely had time to make the acquaintance of the CID's first woman detective, Samantha Khama, when his superior tells him he needs to devote his time to a death threat on a popular political candidate. Samantha seems to be a bright, very intense young woman who's determined to focus on crimes against women. Since Kubu now has very little time to mentor her, he agrees when she asks to be put in charge of a cold case concerning missing women and children. In quick succession two young girls go missing after being seen getting into cars, and the political candidate is murdered. Kubu and Samantha have their hands full-- and what neither of them realizes is that their cases will entwine. There is a powerful, and very deadly, witch doctor at the heart of both their investigations.

Every voracious crime fiction reader loves to be in at the start of an excellent series and watch it improve and flourish with each subsequent book. That's exactly what's happened with the Detective Kubu series penned by the talented writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip.

Their series is set in the fascinating country of Botswana, familiar yet so very different from the Botswana of Alexander McCall Smith's Precious Ramotswe. As Kubu interacts with other characters, we learn of the traditions, customs, foods, and land in which the books are set.

During the investigations of Deadly Harvest, we become more familiar with the political climate as well as muti, a type of traditional medicine widespread in southern Africa. Unfortunately some witch doctors resort to the use of human body parts in the making of their medicines and potions, and stopping this horrendous practice is a driving force in the book. It's the skillful weaving together of the cold case and the murder of the political candidate that builds suspense to such a point that I still find it hard to believe that Deadly Harvest is almost 500 pages long.

As with any good series, Sears and Trollip know that the books are only as good as the recurring characters-- and what a marvelous cast they've created! We see Kubu with criminals and other police officers, and we get to see what a happy, solid relationship he has with his wife, his daughter, and his parents. As his parents age, problems begin to arise, and I feel certain that we'll be able to read more about this in future books. Kubu's superior officer is a good man, which makes a nice change from all the other fictional police detectives who seem to have to deal with pencil-pushing idiots who only protect and serve their own careers. I was a bit doubtful about the addition of Samantha Khama to this wonderful cast. At first she's so intense and fanatical that I wanted to tell her to loosen up, but I knew she'd either treat me to some sort of diatribe, or glare at me and stomp off in the opposite direction. But the longer she investigated, and the more she worked with her fellow officers, my attitude changed. I'm really looking forward to reading more about her.

Actually I'm looking forward to much more than reading more about Samantha Khama. I'm hooked on Botswana, a large, wily detective known as Kubu ("hippo"), his family and friends, and the mesmerizing stories written by two men known as Michael Stanley. May there be many more investigations to come!

Deadly Harvest by Michael Stanley

ISBN: 9780062221520

Harper © 2013

Paperback, 496 pages

Police Procedural, #4 Detective Kubu mystery

Rating: A+

Source: the author

What Scary Movie Are You?

You Are The Silence of the Lambs

You think the scariest thing in the world is the human mind. What serial killers are capable of frightens you to the core. You aren't big on gore or action when it comes to horror movies. You'd rather delve deeper than that... and get completely disturbed. In fact, you can hardly ever find a horror movie that compares to the nastiness of a true crime story. You couldn't think up the brutal crimes that occur in real life. In your opinion, no monster can be as scary as a human. You don't have to look far to find someone that totally terrifies you.

What Scary Movie Are You?

Except the Dying by Maureen Jennings

First Line: They started with the boots, which looked new.

It is bitterly cold in Toronto in the winter of 1895, and the nude body of a servant girl has been found frozen in the snow on a deserted path. Acting detective William Murdoch is assigned the case, and he hopes that he can solve it quickly and with distinction. After all, he's been an acting detective for three years, and unless someone is transferred or dies, it looks as though his career is stalled. But the more he investigates, the longer his suspect list becomes-- and the more he has to contend with bigoted superiors on the police force.

I originally read this book because I've become a devoted fan of the Canadian television series based upon Maureen Jennings' work. So many times when I sample a book (or series of books) that has been turned into a television series, my reading pleasure is greatly diminished. That definitely was not the case with Except the Dying. Jennings' historical accuracy and her main character transform what could well have been a conventional murder mystery. While William Murdoch shows himself to be a compassionate man of principles who's still mourning the death of his fiancée, I was also taken with Jennings' turn of phrase-- one woman is described as being "as neat as a nuthatch" and someone else was so hungry he "could eat moss off a rock." The book also opens with a scene that immediately put me in mind of Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

Writing style, main character, historical accuracy... I am so glad that I introduced myself to Maureen Jennings' books. I'll definitely be reading more.

Except the Dying by Maureen Jennings

ISBN: 9780771043314

McClelland and Stewart © 2010

(Originally published 1997)

Paperback, 360 pages

Historical Mystery, #1 Detective William Murdoch mystery

Rating: A

Source: Paperback Swap

Scene of the Crime with Author Maureen Jennings!

Like almost everyone else I don't just read mysteries, I also watch them-- "Inspector Morse," "Lewis," "Endeavour," "Castle," "NCIS," "Elementary"... the list of favorites is a long one. But for quite some time now, a Canadian mystery series has been right at the top of my favorites list. "Murdoch Mysteries" is set in 1890s Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and from the sets to the actors to the stories, I really enjoy it. Now usually when I watch a mystery series, I don't bother reading the books that it's based on. I know how things can change during the transformation from book to screen. But "Murdoch" was different, so I tracked down the very first book (Except the Dying-- you'll be reading my review in the next post). In the process I discovered that the author, Maureen Jennings has written a couple of other series as well. After reading the first Murdoch mystery, these other books have gone on my wish list.

Maureen Jennings

It's only natural that while I was looking up all her books I found a few links to share with you as well. I hope you'll all take the opportunity to learn more about this talented writer.

Maureen's website

Maureen on Facebook

Maureen's books

Want to get to know her better? Good! It's time for the interview....

What was the very first book you remember reading and loving? What makes that book so special?

Probably the Enid Blyton stories. (several) I loved the notion that there was another world we could step into.

Outside of your writing and all associated commitments, what do you like to do in your free time?

Train my dog. Watch British TV shows, mysteries and documentaries.

If I were to visit your hometown, where would you recommend that I go? (I like seeing and doing things that aren't in all the guide books.)

Don Valley Brick Works

Walking around Cabbagetown streets.

Walking in the Humber river park.

The Don Valley Brick Works. It's brilliant. 

You have total control over casting a movie based on your life. Which actor would you cast as you?

Helen Mirren

Yikes. As I am now more or less...Helen Mirren or Meryl Streep. They've got real faces.

Who is your favorite recurring character in crime fiction?

So many. Women...Kinsey Milhone. Harriet Vane. Men...Sherlock Holmes. Wallander. Campion.

If you could have in your possession one signed first edition of any book in the world, which book would that be? Why that particular book?

The Hound of the Baskervilles. I am a huge lover of Conan Doyle.

How did you celebrate when you first heard you were to be published?

Went out for dinner with my husband.

What did you do the first time you saw one of your books on a shelf in a bookstore?

Grinned a lot. Took out the book and patted it.

Name one thing on your Bucket List.

To have a play I wrote, produced professionally. It is called The Weeping Time and concerns Sir Thomas More and his jailor.

You've just received a $100 gift card to the bookstore of your choice. Which bookstore are you making a bee-line for?

Book City. An independent store not far from us. They have been always supportive.

AVAILABLE NOW!

Thank you so much, Maureen, for spending this time with us. It was a pleasure to be able to get to know you a little better.

May your book sales do nothing but increase!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

My review of Maureen's very first book to be published, Except the Dying, follows this interview. I hope you're now intrigued enough to check out her books as well as the excellent television series, "Murdoch Mysteries," which Americans can watch via Netflix or Amazon (if you're a Prime member).

To end this interview, I couldn't resist posting a photo of Maureen that I fell in love with. It shows her hard at work in Scotland. Happy Reading!

Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear

First Line: Edith Billings-- Mrs. Edith Billings, that is, proprietor of Billings' Bakery-- watched as the dark woman walked past the shop window, her black head with its oiled ebony hair appearing to bob up and down between the top shelf of cottage loaves and the middle shelf of fancy cakes as she made her way along with a confidence to her step.

The dark woman Mrs. Edith Billings watched was Usha Pramal, whose body is later found floating in a South London canal. In two months Usha's brother steps off the ship from India and demands to know why more hasn't been done to find his sister's killer. Detective Inspector Caldwell knows that Scotland Yard did very little to investigate this murder and asks Maisie Dobbs if she will help Mr. Pramal.

Maisie learns that Usha was staying at an ayah's hotel with other Indian women whose British employers turned them out into the street when their services were no longer needed. Another woman at the hotel, Maya Patel, was Usha's friend and has information for Maisie, but Maya is killed before she can share what she knows. This case finds Maisie at a crossroads. She finds the Indian culture captivating, and she longs to travel in the same spirit as her mentor, Maurice Blanche, but her lover has given her an ultimatum, and an unfinished case demands to be taken care of.

As usual, Jacqueline Winspear brings 1930s London-- and the mindsets of so many of its citizens-- to life. The mystery kept me guessing right through the book. However, as any faithful Maisie Dobbs devotee will tell you, the mysteries are first-rate, but that's not the real reason why we eagerly await each new book in the series.

We faithful come back for Maisie herself. Her life has changed dramatically since the very first book, and we have to see how she will adapt. This book, more than any other, shows that there could very well be some great changes in her life in the near future. Maisie still isn't completely comfortable with her inheritance, but she has seen that playing Lady Bountiful with her friends and employees isn't the best way to deal with it. It's taken her a long time to overcome the horror she experienced as a nurse at the front during World War I, but she now has a sense of what she wants from life-- and what she wants to give to it. I can't wait to see what's in store when next we meet this wonderful character that Jacqueline Winspear has created. Maisie Dobbs is a treasure.

Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear

ISBN: 9780062049605

Harper © 2013

Hardcover, 352 pages

Historical Mystery, #10 Maisie Dobbs mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Amazon Vine

The Walled Flower by Lorraine Bartlett

First Line: Steam seeped through the airholes in the Angelo's pizza box, along with the aroma of melted mozzarella, pepperoni, sauce, and spices.

Having a boyfriend who owns a pizza place has its perks, although Katie Bonner is secretly getting rather tired of pepperoni. And whenever she walks into Artisans Alley and looks across the square to the old Webster mansion, she feels a twinge. If her late husband hadn't invested all their savings in the craft mall, the Webster mansion would have been hers to restore lovingly and turn into a bed and breakfast.

Now her dream has become Janice and Toby's, but the new owners have barely started demolition when a skeleton is discovered sealed in the walls of one of the rooms. The bones are identified as those of Heather Winston, a young woman who's been missing for over twenty years. Heather's aunt, Rose Nash, works at Artisans Alley and asks her friend Katie to help her find Heather's killer. The two women soon find out that the killer is very much alive and really wants past secrets to remain buried... at all costs.

This second book in the Victoria Square cozy mystery series continues with a setting and a cast of characters that I greatly enjoyed in the first book, A Crafty Killing. The setting allows for an interesting mix of characters with all the artisans and crafts people renting space in Artisans Alley. Through Katie we can also learn about merchandising, advertising, and being a member of the Merchants Association. There's much more meat on the bone in this series than just a mystery to solve.

Although I deduced the killer's identity rather early on, I settled in to watch how Katie put the clues together. Spending time with Katie and her friends on Victoria Square is a very pleasurable way to spend a few hours, and I intend to keep on doing it.

The Walled Flower by Lorraine Bartlett

ISBN: 9780425246160

Berkley Prime Crime © 2012

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #2 Victoria Square mystery

Rating: B

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen

Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon

First Line: Sophie Page felt herself getting closer.

17-year-old Sophie lies on her deathbed in California, losing a long battle with cancer. 17-year-old Declan encounters two armed assailants in an alley in Galway, Ireland. 17-year-old Anat finds herself in a booby-trapped tunnel between Israel and Egypt. All three strangers should have died. Instead they wake up in an abandoned hospital-- and they're not alone. These teenagers find that they are going to have to work together to find out what is happening and how they can get back home.

This book is fast-paced and has a very intriguing premise, which I'm not going to spoil by trying to explain any part of it to you. But what could have been a good, fun read turned into one that was rather mediocre. The characters seemed right out of Central Casting, with the pretty, nice girl; the streetwise, handsome boy; the suspicious, kick-ass girl; the handsome, privileged boy; and the strange one that none of the others can figure out. After making their way out of the hospital, seeing all the changes in the world around them, and trying to find a parent who lives in the area, none of the teenagers seemed particularly quick on the uptake either. None of them pieced the facts together, and they had to be presented with the truth.

Strangelets had good pacing and an interesting storyline, but the characters let it down. All in all, this was an average read and not quite my cup of tea.

Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon

ISBN: 9781616951375

Soho Teen © 2013

Hardcover, 272 pages

Young Adult Thriller

Rating: C

Source: the publisher

A Back from the Deep Freeze Weekly Link Round-Up

Between the reappearance of posts here and what I've been posting on my Facebook page, many of you have deduced that I've returned from my hiatus. What I didn't mention here was the fact that I didn't post because Denis and I spent an entire month in the UK. It had absolutely nothing to do with my being sick of blogging. It was a splendid month, although the weather did its best to change our minds!

View from our Lancashire cottage

When we first unpacked our bags in the Lancashire cottage that we hired for a week, the hills were green, the trees were showing signs of buds, and ducks and geese were swimming in the Rochdale Canal right out front. But then Russia and Scandinavia decided to share. The wind began to beat and howl against the stone walls of the cottage, ice appeared in the canal, and the snow began to fall. The day this photo was taken, we were supposed to leave for Scotland. We didn't. We were snowed in and couldn't get out. The farmer who owns the cottage took Denis to town in his Land Rover so we could have a bit of food in the house. The drifts were quite deep in places; not all that far away from the cottage, the body of a man was found in the snowdrifts in a pasture. Thousands of people were without electricity, and a week later there were still major roads that hadn't been dug out.

For the entire month, the sun seldom shone, the wind was an almost constant companion, and it was always cold, cold, c-c-c-cold. But guess what? We still had a marvelous time (picture me thumbing my nose at Mother Nature here), and I'll be sharing parts of it with you all over the next several weeks. But now I'd best try to find some links to share!

Bookish News & Other Interesting Stuff

• Here's a six-year-old who guesses what classic novels are all about from looking at their covers.
• This family cleaned their house and found their pet--- that had been missing since 1982. And that's all I'm going to say.
• Why we need to invent new words. (I do it, and I'll bet you do, too!)
• For fellow archaeology buffs, a medieval knight was unearthed in an Edinburgh car park (parking lot).
• Check out what this medieval cat walked across!
• Now this is one strong shortlist for the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction!
• Matthew McAlister believes Georges Simenon is the best French-language novelist you've never heard of.
• Vacationing in England? Would you like to stay in a castle? Check out Astley Castle in Warwickshire.
• For the first time since 1947, a copy of the first book printed in America will be sold at auction.
• In one of those studies that doesn't surprise anyone who loves to read, it's been determined that home libraries provide a huge educational advantage. (Duh.)
• Someone bought a used copy of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Strength to Love and discovered it was signed by the author. Not bad for a $3.50 purchase.

I   ♥  Lists

• I can never resist a list like this: 100 best first lines from novels.
• 13 studious celebs caught reading.
• 30 gorgeous and delicious literary cakes.
• 7 book dedications that basically say "Screw You."
• 20 obsolete English words that should make a comeback.
• 10 libraries to visit with Google Street View. (This can take a while to load.)
• 25 books every kid should have on their bookshelf. (I had to see how many of them I'd read.)
• 11 biggest book-to-big screen adaptations of the last 25 years.
• The 10 best words the internet has given English.
• The 10 best book endings.
• 10 things you probably didn't know about Willa Cather.
• 20 literary facts to impress your friends with.
• 30 things to tell a book snob.

Digital Reading & More

• I can't say that I was very happy when I learned that Google is doing away with Google Reader.
• Next-generation eBooks were introduced at the recent London Book Fair.
• Amazon's branching out all over, and they may be working on a Kindle TV set-top box next.

Book Candy

•  A library slide.
• The Last Bookshop arrives on YouTube, and you can also take a look at all the bookshops where it was filmed.
• Feast your eyes on the Admont Abbey Library.

That's it for this week. Don't forget to stop by next weekend when I'll post a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure!

The Missing File by D.A. Mishani

First Line: Across the desk from him sat a mother. Another mother.

A teenage boy has disappeared from a sleepy suburb of Tel Aviv, Israel, yet when the boy's worried mother goes to the police station and asks Detective Avraham for help, he tells the woman to wait until the morning. It's been one of those days for Avraham, and this woman is the third one to talk to him about her child.  When faced with her emotional appeal, Avraham can only ask her, "Do you know why there are no detective novels in Hebrew?" In reply to her puzzlement, he goes on to say, "Because we don't have crimes like that. We don't have serial killers; we don't have kidnappings; and there aren't many rapists out there attacking women on the streets."

Mrs. Sharabi takes her fear and worry home with her, just as she's been told. But when morning comes and young Ofer Sharabi still isn't home, Avraham must begin an investigation into his disappearance-- an investigation where clues are few and far between. It's not long before the police detective wishes he hadn't been quite so glib with the frantic mother-- and he wonders just what part helpful schoolteacher Ze'ev Avni has to play in what's happened.

Most of your enjoyment of this book is going to hinge on your opinion of the main character, Avraham Avraham (no, that's not a typo). I found it almost impossible to like or even to respect him. He suffers from low self-esteem, is lonely and insecure. He doesn't even have confidence in his own abilities, resenting being overshadowed by others in the department who know how to "play the game." The only real pleasure he seems to have in life is to pick holes in the detective novels he reads and the cop shows he watches. More than once, I found myself wondering when he was going to stop whining and start investigating. One of the other characters in the book does a lot more investigating than the detective, and I really began to think that Avraham was right in worrying about his job security.

My pleasure in this book came from the setting of the Tel Aviv suburbs, the longer passages where the reader could begin to get inside the heads of Avraham and Ze'ev Avni, and my gradual realization that the missing boy was very different from the way he was originally portrayed.

I'm glad I read The Missing File, but I would have to think long and hard before I spent any more time with Detective Avraham. I found him way too annoying, but your mileage could certainly vary.

The Missing File by D.A. Mishani
Translated by Steven Cohen

ISBN: 9780062195371

Harper © 2013

Hardcover, 304 pages

Police Procedural, #1 Detective Avraham mystery

Rating: C

Source: Amazon Vine

The Leviathan Effect by James Lilliefors

First Line: Dr. Atul Pradhan had just poured himself a cup of black tea when he heard what he thought was distant thunder.

If you're in the mood for a fast-paced tale of science running amok, consider picking up a copy of The Leviathan Effect, the second thriller from author James Lilliefors.

Catherine Blaine, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, receives communication from a hacker named Janus that throws her right into the depths of a nightmare. This message is the latest in a series that has been correctly predicting natural disasters around the world. Janus claims that these disasters are not natural but manmade, and if the United States doesn't follow Janus's instructions, a Category 5 hurricane will hit the East Coast and destroy the lives of millions of people.

Off in his own little world, investigative journalist Jon Mallory has been given a list of seven prominent scientists who have disappeared over the past decade. When the person who gave him the list disappears herself, Jon brings his brother Charles-- a private intelligence contractor-- up to speed on the story, which makes Charles a very sought-after man indeed, since Catherine Blaine also wants his help in uncovering this threatening new weather technology.

For the most part I prefer mysteries with rich characterization and plots that unfold gradually, but now and then I just can't resist a fast-moving story loaded with lots of action and technology. The Leviathan Effect delivers. Weather has always fascinated me, and Lilliefors's description of the technology developed to control it was not only plausible but downright chilling. Even more chilling was the person holding the purse strings and his motivations for wanting this sort of capability.

Just when everything seems to be wrapped and tied up with a big pretty bow at story's end, the author throws in a nice cliffhanger, promising more action to come. This made me smile, and I doubt that I'm the only reader to do so. It may not be wise to fool (with) Mother Nature, but it's also not wise to gloss over the warnings given by a villain who's proved he can more than carry out his threats. I look forward to the next appearance of Charles Mallory with eager anticipation.

The Leviathan Effect by James Lilliefors

ISBN: 9781616952495

Soho Crime © 2013

Hardcover, 336 pages

Thriller, #2 Charles Mallory mystery

Rating: B

Source: the publisher

The Lewis Man by Peter May

First Line: On this storm-lashed island three hours off the north-west coast of Scotland, what little soil exists gives the people their food and their heat. It also takes their dead. And very occasionally, as today, gives one up.

An unidentified body has been discovered in a peat bog on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Originally thought to be an ancient burial, once examined, the body proves to have been buried in much more recent times. The only clue to its identity is a DNA sibling match to a local farmer. There's going to be a problem in dealing with the farmer because not only is Tormod Macdonald an old man suffering from dementia, he's also always claimed to be an only child.

Fin Macleod, recently retired from the Edinburgh police force, has returned to the island of his childhood to make a new life for himself. When he's approached by Tormod's family for help, he knows he must do everything he can to solve the mystery of the Lewis Man.

Having fallen under the spell of the first book in Peter May's Lewis trilogy, The Blackhouse, I literally snatched a copy of this book off the shelf when I spied it at my favorite local bookstore. Sometimes when I have such a strong positive reaction to a book I can be rather hesitant to pick up the second, fearing that it won't "live up" to the first. For some reason I didn't feel any such hesitance this time, and I was rewarded with a book that's even more powerful.

To have a mystery rely upon a character suffering from dementia could be a very risky proposition, but Peter May handles it brilliantly. Much is learned about each character in how they relate to Tormod: from his wife, who's kicked him out of the house, to his daughter, who loves her father but doesn't quite know how to cope, to Fin, whose grace and patience and compassion with the old man made me want to cry. While Fin tries to make sense of what little information he can get from Tormod, Tormod's childhood is gradually revealed to the reader. Over the years there have been so many lies and secrets that the ending-- and the way Fin arrives at it-- should come as quite a surprise.

And-- as always in this trilogy-- the Isle of Lewis makes its presence felt in the lyrical beauty of its rugged landscape and in the strength of its people. The Lewis Man is a feast for the eye and the heart and the mind. It is not to be missed.

The Lewis Man by Peter May

ISBN: 9780857382221

Quercus © 2012

Paperback, 435 pages

Police Procedural, Literary Mystery, #2 in the Lewis Trilogy

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen.

The Window Test

You Are Simply You

You believe in originality and tolerance. You think the world needs more diversity, not less. You are not confrontational or aggressive. You take a mild-mannered approach to dealing with people. You have no desire to lead or follow. Anyone is welcome to join you on your journey for a while. You are loyal to people no matter what. You remain true.

The Window Test

Scene of the Crime with Author Peter May!

I am one of those readers who feels most comfortable with a huge cache of books waiting to be read. Building that cache is a labor of love in many ways, and mine contains the books of dozens of new-to-me authors that I'm sure I'll enjoy. The trouble is... some of those authors can languish on the shelves for way too long. This week's featured author is a case in point.

Peter May was born and raised in Scotland and now lives in France. He won many awards in television there before leaving to concentrate on his first love, writing. He's written several standalone novels as well as two series, one featuring Chinese detective Li Yan and pathologist Margaret Campbell which is set in China, and the other which features Enzo Macleod, a Scottish biologist living in southwest France. I have books in both series in my "cache," but it wasn't until I heard about May's trilogy set in the Outer Hebrides that I finally committed to reading him. Now I could kick myself for waiting so long. The Lewis Trilogy is superb, and if you come back tomorrow, you'll be able to read my review of the second book in this award-winning series, The Lewis Man.

Peter May

As always, I've done a bit of research and found a few links about this very talented man that I'll share with you now:

Peter May's website

Peter May on Twitter

Peter May on Facebook

Peter May on Goodreads

More on Peter May's books

Let's not waste any more time-- on to the interview!

What was the very first book you remember reading and loving? What makes that book so special?

I can't remember the title of the book.  It was one I had to read and answer questions on to earn one of my Boy Scout badges.  It was set in Finland at the time of the Russian invasion in 1939.  It was about a group of boys in their mid to late teens who went underground to fight the invaders.  It was the first time I became aware of world politics - I was still at primary school.  It fired both my imagination and my indignation, and I found myself able to step into the shoes of those boys and imagine how I would have felt if someone had invaded my country.

Outside of your writing and all associated commitments, what do you like to do in your free time?

Write and play music.

If I were to visit your hometown, where would you recommend that I go? (I like seeing and doing things that aren't in all the guidebooks.)

The Burrell Collection

My hometown is Glasgow, and I haven't been there for so long, I'm not sure now what to recommend.  Probably a visit to the Burrell Collection.   This is a collection of art and artifacts put together during a lifetime by one man, Sir William Burrell, a Glasgow shipping magnate.  In his 1944 will he left the collection to the city.  For decades it languished unseen in the cellars of the city's Art Gallery until a special building was constructed to display it.  It includes work by major artists such as Rodin, Degas, and Cézanne, as well as late medieval art, Chinese and Islamic Art, Ancient civilisations and more.  It is the greatest collections ever created by one person - consisting of more than 8000 objects.

You have total control over casting a movie based on your life. Which actor would you cast as you?

Sean Connery

 Sean Connery.

Who is your favorite recurring character in crime fiction?

Philip Marlowe.

If you could have in your possession one signed first edition of any book in the world, which book would that be? Why that particular book?

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, because it was seminal in motivating and inspiring me to write.

How did you celebrate when you first heard you were to be published? What did you do the first time you saw one of your books on a shelf in a bookstore?

I had just driven back to Scotland from a holiday in France and the letter from the publisher was awaiting me.  Quite unexpectedly.  I sat stunned for quite a while, then had a glass or three of wine to celebrate.  The first time I saw it on a shelf in a bookstore I moved it to a more prominent position.

Name one thing on your Bucket List.

I don't have a Bucket List.  [Neither do I.]

You've just received a $100 gift card to the bookstore of your choice. Which bookstore are you making a bee-line for?

If I were in the States, probably Once Upon a Crime in Minneapolis.  Great people, great little store.

AVAILABLE NOW!

Thank you so much for spending this time with us, Peter. It was a pleasure to be able to get to know you a little better.

May your book sales do nothing but increase!

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow to read my review of The Lewis Man. It's one of the best books I've read this year!

What Kind of Kid Were you?

You Were an Achieving Kid

When you were a kid, people often remarked on how mature you seemed. You acted quite adult. You excelled at school, and you actually enjoyed it to a large extent. No one had to ask you to do your homework. As a kid, you were probably a bit picky. You liked structure, schedules, and organization. You had trouble being friends with regular kids. You probably were only friends with other serious children.

What Kind of Kid Were You?

What Part of Spring Are You?

You Are Chirping Birds

You are a very caring person. You especially feel for innocent beings, like animals and children. You are keyed in to the world and very peaceful. You believe that everyone is connected. You remain focused and in the moment. You are not easily distracted. You have a good memory, especially for things that you hear. You listen carefully.

What Part of Spring Are You?

Are You Stuck in a Rut?

You Could Get Into a Rut

So far, you are doing a pretty good job at mixing things up in your life. You have some variety going on. You are not in a rut, but you are not completely immune from getting into one either. You do like your habits sometimes. Whenever you are given the choice, try to do the new thing rather than the established practice. Make that one of your few habits. By forcing yourself outside your comfort zone, you can make your life almost completely rut proof. And a rut proof life is an amazing life. People who stay out of ruts are more creative and innovative. If you want to leave your mark on the world, staying out of ruts is how you get there!

Are You Stuck in a Rut?